Early impressions:
Pleased with this device.
Once you get your head around using the foot switches as well as the little red lights (which are also buttons) above them to load and save presets, it’s easy to use.
Even for one algorithm there’s a lot of variety available. From short almost plate style reverbs to complex rooms, to the wild modulated sound the algorithm is known for.
The interaction between the Size knob and Gravity knob makes for a lot of variation, even though slight adjustments to either won’t completely transform the sound. So this makes it reliable and you don’t have to worry about losing what you’ve spent a lot of time dialing in, if you tweak it too much. Side note: I prefer the knob action on the Blackhole over the Space. It’s more firm with less of that over-travel.
Using this primarily on Octatrack’s stereo output, with mix at only about 20-25%, the lo shelf turned all the way down, hi shelf at noon, feedback low, and gravity inversed (left of noon).
The result is a nicely complex density that doesn’t reverberate the low end too much, fills out the mid range, and I can adjust the “air” in the reverb by turning the hi shelf knob. This adjustment can be done live, during breakdowns, or more minimal phrases, and dialed back when necessary.
With this use case the reverb is not super obvious, and that’s the idea. If i disengage the pedal, the OT sounds dull and dry, with it engaged the OT’s output sounds finished.
With Blackhole on OT output, I’ve been able to go into my OT Parts and remove the master dark reverb in FX2 that was used in the same way, but with a less complex algorithm. Which means room for more creative FX for scenes in that slot instead.
I’ve also noticed that where I was using any of the various OT reverbs in small amounts on individual channels (usually hats and percussion), the effect of those reverbs is completely overshadowed by the blackhole on master.
This isn’t a bad thing. It opens up those FX slots as well, and I can use the spatializer and chorus effects there instead, and get a better sound on the tune in the end.
The result is my OT now sounds better than ever. I’ve yet to experiment with the MIDI over TRS functions, but in theory I could link my Parts to one of 127 presets in the Blackhole, via PRGL CHNG message. Not sure if I’ll take that path for OT, since I am using it in a subtle way that I can apply well to all parts.
Perhaps for a synth capable of PRG CHNG it would make more sense, when using more varied and extreme settings.
And that brings us to the feature that I think work best on other instruments:
The freeze function.
It’s entirely uninteresting when the mix is less than 50%, and if the input is complex program material (OT output), it just sounds like a stutter of noise. The simpler the input signal, the more mileage you get from the Freeze.
I enjoy using it on Typhon, and since Typhon’s FX3 is an either/or of reverb or delay, this pedal allows me to use (and internally modulate!) Typhon’s delay in the FX3 slot, while this knobby Blackhole can handle the reverb in very interesting ways.
If I could add one parameter, it would be a mid/side option. I’d love to hear more reverberation of sounds that are in my mix that exist in the stereo space, and less that are in the mono space.
An older version of iZotope Ozone, version 4, had a master reverb that allowed you to isolate the side information, with high and low filters, and it was great for this.
It might have been a bit cheeky to give the Blackhole pedal some capability that doesn’t exist in the H9 or Space, so I can respect Eventide for sticking to the script here and not upsetting other customers.
I was surprised to see it came with a power supply from Zzounds. The Sweetwater listing says PSU is (sold separately), and they usually hook people up, so I just assumed it wouldn’t, and I ordered a $15 PSU on Amazon that is now my backup.
All of that said, I’ll wait and see if Eventide has plans for additional pedals like this. A MangledVerb pedal would suit my mono synths nicely, and if that doesn’t happen , I may find myself buying a second Blackhole, as I’ll be keeping this one on OT most of the time.